A couple of days ago, I started having a weird issue with the Facebook app on my smartphone: Facebook Marketplace opened automatically, for no reason, each time I launched the Facebook app. I didn’t tap the Marketplace icon, nor did I recently use this feature in the Facebook app. It did it randomly and automatically, without any input from me. I looked it up online and found some discussion forums where people reported this problem about three months ago. It’s been a while since then, yet Facebook still hasn’t fixed this bug or published a guide on how to fix things. Luckily, there is a solution, and here’s how it works:

The problem: Facebook Marketplace opens automatically in a browser each time I start the Facebook app

I recently encountered this strange issue: each time I started the Facebook app on my Samsung Galaxy smartphone, after a few seconds, it opened the Facebook Marketplace website in a separate browser window, displaying announcements in French (even though I’m using Facebook only in English or Romanian), asking for my ZIP code, and other personal information. I found this strange and frustrating. 🙁

Facebook Marketplace opens automatically

It did this every time, and I couldn’t fix it by resetting the Facebook app or uninstalling and reinstalling it. I looked for a solution online and noticed other people complaining. They reported using various devices, including Android smartphones from brands other than Samsung Galaxy and even iPhones. So how do you fix this? It turns out that you have to remove the Facebook Marketplace from the navigation bar.

TIP: Facebook has a tendency of making its users jump through hoops to deactivate annoying or malfunctioning features. In case you need it, here’s another guide on turning off Facebook sounds for a silent experience using this app. 🙂

How to remove Facebook Marketplace from the navigation bar on Android

If you’re using the Facebook app on Android devices made by manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, OPPO, OnePlus, Realme, and others, open the Facebook app and close the Facebook Marketplace page when it pops up. Then, in the Facebook app, tap the Menu icon in the top right corner, which includes your profile picture and three parallel lines, and scroll down the page.

Go to Menu and scroll down

When you reach the Settings & privacy section, tap on it to expand it, then access Settings.

Go to Settings & privacy > Settings

Scroll down the list of settings until you see the Preferences section. Here, tap the Navigation bar entry.

Go to Preferences > Navigation bar

Next, tap on Customize the bar.

Choose Customize the bar

You now see the list of shortcuts included in the Facebook navigation bar.

Marketplace is on the list and set to Auto. Tap on Auto.

Tap on Auto next to Marketplace

In the menu that pops up at the bottom of the screen, select Hide.

Select Hide

You can now close the Facebook app. The next time you open it, the Marketplace icon won’t be shown on the navigation bar, and the Facebook Marketplace will no longer open automatically.🙂

How to remove Facebook Marketplace from the navigation bar on an iPhone

If you’re using an iPhone and encounter the same bug each time you open the Facebook app, first close the Facebook Marketplace. Then, tap the Menu button in the bottom right corner and scroll down.

Tap Menu and scroll down

Go to Settings & Privacy and expand it. Then, tap Settings.

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings

Scroll down the list of Facebook settings until you find Preferences. Here, tap the Navigation bar entry.

Go to Preferences > Navigation bar

Choose to Customize the bar.

Choose Customize the bar

Facebook displays the icons that are or can be shown on the navigation bar.

The Marketplace entry is set to Auto by default. Tap on Auto.

Tap on Auto next to Marketplace

In the list of options, choose Hide.

Tap on Hide

Close the Facebook app, and the next time you open it, the Facebook Marketplace should no longer load automatically.🙂

Frustrating Facebook bug, isn’t it?

When looking online for a solution to this problem, I learned that many people encountered this frustrating bug, and most of them were based in Europe: Belgium, Poland, Norway, Portugal, or Romania. I’m not sure if this bug is present only in European countries or whether it is a problem for users in other countries too, like the USA, Australia, or Canada. However, it is very frustrating, and it made me seriously consider stopping to use Facebook. I like their algorithms less and less, and it’s really annoying how this social network fills with more and more spam each day. What about you? Did you consider quitting Facebook? And did my fix work for you too? Comment using the options below, and let me know.🙂